Modern vehicles comprise a plurality of actuators, as well as a plurality of sensors, which are independently controlled by a processor and make it possible to regulate the operation of an engine. An actuator is generally used to regulate the flow of a fluid such as fuel, air or gas. A sensor, for its part, is used to provide information which represents a physical quantity and will be used to control the actuator. Furthermore, the sensor may also be used to detect possible problems such as leaks, or to diagnose the actuators.
An actuator generally comprises two external connection wires, one for its power supply and the other for controlling it. A sensor, for its part, generally comprises three external connection wires, one for its power supply, one for the ground and one for the data transmission.
The current context of the automobile sector is such that there is a desire to reduce the size of the systems as well as the number of connection wires, in order to reduce costs and increase the reliability of the systems.
To this end, one proposed solution is to integrate the actuator and the sensor in a single component. This solution contributes to reducing the size of the system. However, since the operation of the actuator and the operation of the sensor remain completely independent, such a system requires a plurality of connection wires, and more precisely five according to the example above. Having a large number of connection wires increases the size of the system, increasing the risks of malfunctions and reducing the reliability of said system.